ModLab’s ‘SMORES’ are expanding robot autonomy Photo courtesy of Penn Engineering ModLab’s ‘SMORES’ are expanding robot autonomy A self-assembling modular robot for extreme shapeshifting (SMORES) is designed to experience environmental features and modify its movement and function in response, bringing a new level of autonomy to the world of robotics.
When ancient technology and high-tech robots intersect Harold Dibble and his team research how humans might have made stone tools and flakes, from as far back as 2 million years ago to as recently as 10,000 years ago. When ancient technology and high-tech robots intersect In one Penn lab, a stone-sculpting machine is helping archaeologists solve long-held mysteries of very old tools.
Penn's Electric Race Car Team Seeks Fourth Title in Four Years Penn In the News Philadelphia Inquirer Penn's Electric Race Car Team Seeks Fourth Title in Four Years Eighty undergrads from a variety of departments, including Connor Sendel of the Wharton School and the School of Engineering and Applied Science, are building an electric car with four-wheel drive with hopes of winning two competitions this June. Building futures through LEGOs Since this year’s theme is water, the students had to create autonomous robots that would move through LEGO field models and accomplish tasks such as collecting rain water, helping flowers grow, and putting out fires. Building futures through LEGOs In the FIRST LEGO League tournament, middle school teams mentored by Penn Engineering students worked to design and build robots related to the theme of water. These robot teams will be intelligent, adaptive, and resilient These robot teams will be intelligent, adaptive, and resilient The United States Army Research Laboratory awarded the School of Engineering and Applied Science a five-year, $27 million grant to develop new methods of creating autonomous, intelligent, and resilient teams of robots. These small robots are inspired by origami Sung is developing design software to enable people without an engineering background to create custom origami robots that can move on the ground. The tool, called Interactive Robogami, is based on a database of robot parts which users can combine together like a “virtual Lego set.” These small robots are inspired by origami Through origami-inspired engineering, one researcher hopes to not only create rapidly fabricable robots, but also build intuitive design software that enables others who may not be trained in engineering to create their own personalized robots. Teaching Robots to ‘Feel with Their Eyes’ Teaching Robots to ‘Feel with Their Eyes’ An engineering Ph.D. student is leading a project that builds up a database of surfaces so that robots may better identify what objects are made of and how to handle them. Exploring new worlds: Penn students design an ice drilling robot for Mars Penn Engineering students Wanda Lipps, Gautam Nagaraj, and Michael Gromis, all members of the Mars Water Horizons team, use a robot they built to drill through a container of soil, clay and ice. The goal is to create something that will be able to extract ice from the surface of Mars, then melt and filter it into drinkable water that could also be used as rocket fuel. Exploring new worlds: Penn students design an ice drilling robot for Mars The team’s robot is designed to drill through soil on Mars, extract ice and clay, and then melt the ice and filter it into drinkable water. Encouraging Philadelphia high school students to ‘Tech It Out’ Encouraging Philadelphia high school students to ‘Tech It Out’ Tech It Out Philly introduces high school students to different topics in computer science, such as web development, robotics, circuitry, and hardware. Penn Engineering Offers an Online MicroMasters in Robotics Penn Engineering Offers an Online MicroMasters in Robotics Beginning in April, Penn Engineering and the GRASP Laboratory will offer a new series of online courses in robotics as part of edX’s “MicroMasters” program.
Building futures through LEGOs Since this year’s theme is water, the students had to create autonomous robots that would move through LEGO field models and accomplish tasks such as collecting rain water, helping flowers grow, and putting out fires. Building futures through LEGOs In the FIRST LEGO League tournament, middle school teams mentored by Penn Engineering students worked to design and build robots related to the theme of water.
These robot teams will be intelligent, adaptive, and resilient These robot teams will be intelligent, adaptive, and resilient The United States Army Research Laboratory awarded the School of Engineering and Applied Science a five-year, $27 million grant to develop new methods of creating autonomous, intelligent, and resilient teams of robots.
These small robots are inspired by origami Sung is developing design software to enable people without an engineering background to create custom origami robots that can move on the ground. The tool, called Interactive Robogami, is based on a database of robot parts which users can combine together like a “virtual Lego set.” These small robots are inspired by origami Through origami-inspired engineering, one researcher hopes to not only create rapidly fabricable robots, but also build intuitive design software that enables others who may not be trained in engineering to create their own personalized robots.
Teaching Robots to ‘Feel with Their Eyes’ Teaching Robots to ‘Feel with Their Eyes’ An engineering Ph.D. student is leading a project that builds up a database of surfaces so that robots may better identify what objects are made of and how to handle them.
Exploring new worlds: Penn students design an ice drilling robot for Mars Penn Engineering students Wanda Lipps, Gautam Nagaraj, and Michael Gromis, all members of the Mars Water Horizons team, use a robot they built to drill through a container of soil, clay and ice. The goal is to create something that will be able to extract ice from the surface of Mars, then melt and filter it into drinkable water that could also be used as rocket fuel. Exploring new worlds: Penn students design an ice drilling robot for Mars The team’s robot is designed to drill through soil on Mars, extract ice and clay, and then melt the ice and filter it into drinkable water.
Encouraging Philadelphia high school students to ‘Tech It Out’ Encouraging Philadelphia high school students to ‘Tech It Out’ Tech It Out Philly introduces high school students to different topics in computer science, such as web development, robotics, circuitry, and hardware.
Penn Engineering Offers an Online MicroMasters in Robotics Penn Engineering Offers an Online MicroMasters in Robotics Beginning in April, Penn Engineering and the GRASP Laboratory will offer a new series of online courses in robotics as part of edX’s “MicroMasters” program.